Important Black Individuals of America
In American history, there are countless amounts of people who made huge strides for humans as a whole or even just in our society. We know many of the greats like Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, or even George Washington off the top of our heads. But, do you know who Shirley Chisholm was? Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected in the United States Congress. So, I want to highlight some amazing Black individuals who made huge achievements that we may not know much about.
1. Job Maseko (~1922-1952)
Maseko was a devoted war veteran during World War II. He did an incredible feat in which he sank a German war ship with a tin can of condensed milk during the time he spent as a prisoner of war. Using his pre-war mining experience, he was able to have three of his fellow prisoners, all forced to do labor for the Germans, be a distraction so he could build a bomb and eventually set it off. The explosion and the subsequent fires destroyed the ship all while Maseko and the prisoners safely left the ship with cargo to unload as usual. He was later awarded a military medal for his bravery and service.
2. Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)
Brooks is one of the most respected and admired poets of the 20th century. Brooks made poetry books and popular works like “We Real Cool” and “The Crazy Woman” during her career. Not only did she create works that will outlive her for decades to come, but she was also the first Black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize! Alongside her awards, she also held the position as the poetry consultant for the Library of Congress where she was the first Black woman ever to gain that role as well.
3. Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919)
An entrepreneur and political and social activist, Madam C. J. Walker was the first ever female and self-made millionaire in the world. Walker, more commonly known as Sarah Breedlove, built her own business in the beauty industry for Black women despite still living in an extremely discriminatory and dangerous time in history. By the time she died in 1919, she was worth well over $1,000,000, which would be over $18,590,000 in 2024!
4. Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951)-
A sad injustice was done to Lacks when she died of cervical cancer in 1951. When she died, her cells were taken without consent and this was the beginning of an important discussion of medical injustices consistently done to people of color. Her stolen cells were used to advance medical research that is vital to our understanding of modern medicine today. Not only did her postmortem sacrifice help hundreds of thousands of people, but it was specifically crucial in creating the invaluable Polio vaccine. Using her immortalized cells, we’ve been able to test radiation, toxins, and poisons on the human cancer cell without having to test on humans. We can all appreciate Henrietta Lacks and how even in death she is changing the future for the better for all of humankind.
5. Quinta Brunson (1989-present)-
A prevalent and talented woman in today’s mainstream media, Quinta Brunson is continuously making strides for herself in the entertainment industry. She is now the first Black woman to be nominated three times in the comedy category. Outside of her numerous nominations, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. For the first time in 40 years in the Primetime Emmy Awards history, Brunson was able to secure a win in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. On top of all of that, she has been named one of Times “100 Most Influential People.” Quinta Brunson is a trailblazer and it’s very evident that she’s only getting started.
Honorary Mentions:
> Amanda Gorman (1998-present)-
Gorman was the youngest poet ever to read at a presidential inauguration in United States history at just 22 years old. People say she is on the way to joining the ranks with Maya Angelou and Robert Frost. This is reigning true as she continues to thrive in her role as an activist and continues to perform her works.
>Jesse Owens (1913-1980)-
A man of immense athletic ability, Owens set a world record in the long jump at the 1936 Olympics. That world record would go on to last for 25 years, being untouched. While competing, he also earned four gold medals in 100 and 200-meter dashes and a 100-meter relay. After he died, in 1976, he earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Congressional Gold Medal in 1970.
All of these amazing individuals, ranging from being born a hundred years ago or thriving in the present, achieved things that will go down in history forever. In schools you may not have ever heard of these Black innovators or you may have never heard of an individual like Quinta Brunson who is a celebrity, producer and award-winning writer and actress. It is so easy for exceptional people to be pushed into the shadows simply due to societal prejudices. I hope this article can help highlight just a few Black people who should receive the recognition they deserve.